


the adventures of turtle boy and lightning rod

by vonseal



Series: wanna be your superhero [1]
Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Rated T for language, Romance, actually the action is badly written, pleased be warned i am not creative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 17:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8925421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonseal/pseuds/vonseal
Summary: Sanha gave a light laugh. “This is like Spiderman, isn't it? You're Mary Jane. She's always getting kidnapped or something.”“I haven't gotten kidnapped yet, and thank you very much for probably jinxing it and ruining my life.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chipsandwaffles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chipsandwaffles/gifts).



> I've seen Tobey Maguire's Spiderman and one or two Batman movies and that's the extent of my superhero knowledge, so if this seems weird, it's because I'm not up-to-date with the new superhero chaos. Also because my action writing sucks. Just skip the action sequences. Good guys win, that's all you need to know.

Myungjun considered himself someone who was pure and clean and free of much wrong-doing. He was a normal man who lived a normal life, and he much preferred it that way. He had seen some of his old high school friends go down paths he would never even imagine going down, swayed easily by cheap thrills and a lack of responsibilities.

Myungjun, though, steered clear of that, thank you very much. He was a well-to-do man and was rarely involved with trouble, save for those times he spoke back to his dear mother as a child.

But a quick spanking really paled in comparison to the trouble many other people would get themselves in. Every day the news detailed some new criminal that was caught, be it in his town or elsewhere. Myungjun would finish eating his breakfast and shake his head at the television, feeling pity for the innocent who were caught up in these situations.

Like every other man free from such chaos, Myungjun would think, “At least it will never happen to me,” and continue on his way to work.

And perhaps it was that mindset that made him talk to a stranger one particular day when he probably should have kept his mouth closed and trusted the sanity of people a little less than he did.

It started at a bank. A bank with a _very_ long line that found Myungjun tapping his feet on the ground every so often as he waited for the line to move. Others displayed such impatience as well, but Myungjun was more concerned with getting _himself_ through the line. His time after work was precious; he could only record so many shows, after all, and some of those shows were not set to be recorded. He would have only a little bit of time to hurry home after this if he wanted to catch the very beginning of his drama, so in desperation, he tapped the shoulder of the man in front of him.

“What?” a gruff voice asked, and the man didn't turn around. Myungjun wondered why he was wearing such a large overcoat when it wasn't even that cold outside.

But he didn't want to dwell on that. If he was going to ask one question of this man, it was going to be a good one. “Hey, mind if I cut in front of you? I only have one check, and one of my favorite dramas starts in-” He checked his watch, then sighed. “Fifteen minutes.”

He could make it if the line moved and if he ran.

The man in front snorted and didn't answer him. Instead, he looked toward the window with such a nervous gaze that Myungjun had to look out the window as well. There wasn't anything, save for various people walking past, all with a destination.

Myungjun was willing to bet that at least one of those people walking past was going to catch the first bit of the drama, and he envied them.

“Um...” Myungjun cleared his throat. Maybe the man hadn't heard him. “I swear, I won't be too much time. One tiny, little paycheck. I'll return the favor for you one day, if we ever run into each other at the bank again, which would be such a _crazy_ coincidence, but then you at least know you can skip ahead of me whenever that time comes.”

He thought he had made a reasonable request, but the man still had yet to acknowledge his question. Maybe the man thought ignoring Myungjun would work. He obviously didn't know Myungjun. “You seem like a nice guy,” Myungjun continued. “So you know those _pass it on_ type of deals? You do something nice for me, I do something nice for some pregnant lady elsewhere, she does something nice for the old man on the corner of the street, and then it continues? I'll start one of those _pass it on deals_ in your name if you let me skip.”

This time, the man sighed – it was a sigh of relief, which only slightly confused Myungjun, until he chalked it up to the man just being relieved that there was still good in this world.

Myungjun would have to find some pregnant lady, but he'd worry about it tomorrow. For today, however, he grinned happily and moved to cut in front of the man. “I knew you were nice! I could tell when you spoke to me, just a voice _full_ of warmth and friendliness.”

Two things happened then, and Myungjun only had concern for one of those two. He did _not_ have concern that four other men, all of them also wearing dumb overcoats, walked inside the bank. He _did_ have concern that the man in front of him suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him close.

A knife was on Myungjun's throat before he could comprehend anything.

He heard people scream and he gripped at the arm that was currently holding the knife. This man was actually not very nice at _all_ , and Myungjun regretted trying to engage in conversation with him (and Myungjun _very much_ regretted trying to cut in front of him and putting himself in a position where he could easily be grabbed in such a manner).

The customers were running out of the door at this point and the bank employees seemed to be in panic mode. Myungjun, struggling to get away without getting his neck sliced in half, noticed the other men threatening the workers with knives.

Ah. A robbery. A robbery with a hostage. He had seen this on the news once before and had thought what every man who leads a life free of trouble thinks: “At least that isn't me.”

He could have kicked himself. What an idiot! The universe must have been punishing him for his selfish thoughts. Myungjun wanted to tell the universe that once this was all through and over, he would have even _more_ selfish thoughts, just to screw with the universe.

And that sort of mindset might have been exactly why he was being dragged suddenly to the teller's desk, the knife dangerously close to actually drawing blood.

“Give us the money!” the man holding him shouted, and Myungjun squeezed his eyes shut. His fingers were gripping harshly into the man's skin and prayers escaped his lips as he tried pulling free.

Damn the fact that he was small and weak and too scared to properly think of a plan to get away.

“We'll kill him if you don't give us the money!”

Oh. _Oh_ , man, that didn't sound good at all, and Myungjun grit his teeth down. He only hoped that the tellers would take pity on his terrible situation and hand over the bags of cash like they did in those dumb Western movies he loved so much.

But, from the sounds of it, that actually wasn't happening. He couldn't exactly hear what the teller was saying, her voice stammering greatly, but he _did_ hear one of the Overcoat Men curse in anguish.

“Their boss is out and this bitch doesn't have the code to get any of the money!” he explained to his partners.

The man holding him also cursed, and Myungjun whimpered lightly as he was pushed up against the desk. The knife was digging lightly into his neck now, and he felt the pain as it did actually break skin. He didn't expect that. Sure, he figured this man was making very rash decisions, but he didn't expect that he was going to get _hurt_ in the process. He could handle being shaken up; he couldn't handle being hurt.

“Don't kill me! Let me go, I didn't do anything, I won't tell, just let me go!” he screeched. He always knew he was loud (and obnoxious, as many people had told him before), and he was hoping that maybe his words would reach these men and they would let him go, like they totally did for other hostages who were freaked out.

He knew it wouldn't work, but his body was wracked with absolute fear and panic. If screaming was the only thing he could do, then he was going to do a damn good job of screaming.

“Shut up!” Another of the Overcoat Men smacked him in the face for his noise, though, and Myungjun felt the sting as his hand connected. Movies made it seem so easy! In movies, people who were slapped hardly moved; Myungjun's head felt like a limp rag doll, however, and he couldn't focus properly for a minute afterwards.

When he was able to stop the world from spinning, he heard the man holding him snap, “If you don't call your boss in five seconds, I'm going to kill him.”

That was a completely different tune from _give us the money or he dies_. This was a lot different, and Myungjun was certain the boss _probably_ wasn't so willing to hand over the code when he had no idea what was even going on in the bank.

So Myungjun had about a minute to prep himself for death.

He was already saying his prayers to whichever god was listening when the bank doors opened, and all of the Overcoat Men turned around.

Myungjun quickly prayed for the police before opening his eyes and looking upon his saviors.

Superheroes. Or superhero-wannabes, Myungjun wasn't certain. They were both short, though, even if their outfits were cool. The shorter of the two, a blond man with a dark green suit and an equally dark green mask covering half his face, took a step forward. The knife was back to digging into Myungjun's skin.

“I'd let him go if I were you, sir,” the green superhero stated, his voice a little cocky. Myungjun hoped he knew what he was doing, because this would totally suck if two superhero-wannabes with cool outfits got killed right alongside him. “I don't think there's any need to make this a murder as well as a robbery, is there?”

Myungjun wanted to tell the superhero-wannabe that these guys didn't actually listen when _he_ told them to let him go, so he highly doubted they'd listen to a man with a mask covering half his face. However, he really wasn't in a position to speak right now, due to the fact he _might_ have been crying a little bit (which he was already aware he would have to make excuses for should he come out of this alive).

The Overcoat Men laughed, as Myungjun knew they would, and one pointed a knife at the green superhero-wannabe. “Is this what the police sent? Some idiots dressed up like comic book characters? What a joke-!”

The man would have laughed more, probably, had a bolt of lightning suddenly not protruded from the other superhero-wannabe's hands and forced the man to fly backwards. The bank tellers screamed and ducked, which Myungjun _longed_ so desperately to do.

These guys weren't wannabes – these guys were the real deal, and that did give Myungjun hope. He watched the Lightning Superhero grin and shrug his shoulders at Green Superhero, who had turned around to give him an exasperated look.

It was good and all that the superheroes got along so well, but as they took a split second to pay attention to each other, the Overcoat Man currently in possession of Myungjun decided to take action. The knife was moved in a dangerous position over Myungjun's throat – he couldn't even swallow, lest it slice his Adam's apple and cause him to bleed out over the floor. In fact, at this point it was pressed just hard enough into his throat that Myungjun found himself gagging.

“Y-You guys don't move a fucking _muscle_!” Overcoat Man shouted. “Don't shoot those damn lightning bolts out of your hands again, or I'm going to cut this kid open!”

Since Myungjun's wish of being free wasn't coming true, he instead wished that he wasn't crying so much in front of two really nicely dressed superheroes. He would totally be embarrassed about this if he made it out of the bank alive.

But at least he'd be _alive_ , so there was that.

The superheroes, however, were actually listening to Overcoat Man. Lightning Superhero looked very distraught by Myungjun's position, which _really_ worried Myungjun. If they didn't have a plan to get him out of here, he was basically as good as dead. He wouldn't even get his chance to be embarrassed.

“If you kill him,” Green Superhero suddenly said, and he talked slowly, which Myungjun assumed was to catch the attention of the four remaining Overcoat Men. “I'm going to personally kill every single one of you. This isn't Batman or Spiderman, where the superhero leaves the bad guys for the police. If you're going to commit murder, you'd better be willing to understand how it feels to be murdered yourselves.” Green Superhero took a small step forward. The knife stayed where it was, and Overcoat Man tightened his grip on Myungjun's arm.

It was silent in the bank for a few seconds. Myungjun could hear panic from outside, sirens in the distance, the tellers shuffling and a few of them crying. However, his wide eyes were solely focused on Green Superhero, who was having a rather intense stare down with Overcoat Man. Myungjun liked the shape of Green Superhero's face, but that was the only thought the damn universe allowed him before one of the other Overcoat Men suddenly rushed Green Superhero, knife out and ready.

Green Superhero easily blocked the first knife slash and quickly disarmed the man by grabbing his arm and _twisting_. Myungjun heard a horrible crack as the man screamed out in pain. Rather than kill him as had been mentioned earlier, Green Superhero tossed him aside, cracking his finger knuckles as if he had just tackled some light yard work, not as if he had just broken a man's arm in no time at all.

The Overcoat Man holding onto Myungjun seemed extremely nervous. The knife was faltering, and Myungjun took the moment to push away. It actually worked this time, and he fell to the tiled floors painfully. He heard the other men yelling, and the very unfriendly Overcoat Man who lost him bent down and yanked at his hair.

Lightning Superhero was making quick work of the remaining two Overcoat Men, and Green Superhero was hurrying toward Myungjun and his captor. The knife came up again, threatening to pierce Myungjun's neck, but before it went any further, Green Superhero was there, and he wrapped his hand around the blade of the knife.

It was close enough to Myungjun's ear that he heard the slicing of skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was teetering right on the edge of being sliced himself. Green Superhero was the only one who could save him at this point, as ridiculous as that sounded in Myungjun's head.

“I told you-” Green Superhero was still speaking slowly. “You should have let him go.”

There was the sound of a punch. Myungjun had seen enough movies and dramas to know that punches were the start of a fist-fight of some sort, and this Overcoat Man seemed to be fit enough to withstand an easy punch to the face. However, he didn't seem fit enough to stand a punch to the face by a superhero with unspeakable powers. Overcoat Man went flying back. He hit a table and crumbled to the ground, and Myungjun did not hear him rise.

He opened his eyes and Green Superhero was discarding the knife. Blood was dripping from his hand onto the tiled floor, making small puddles, and Myungjun watched this, breathing harshly. Green Superhero didn't seem too concerned with his injury, however, and he bent down to Myungjun's level, suddenly smiling lightly. “That could have gone better. I apologize. I'm trying to get used to having Lightning Rod over there as a partner.”

“My name is _not_ going to be Lightning Rod,” said the Lightning Superhero, who was assessing the damage he had caused by shooting freaking lightning bolts out of his hand. Myungjun wanted to know how none of the men he hit were fried to a crisp, but he couldn't speak at that moment. “I want to be Rocky.”

“That doesn't make sense,” Green Superhero argued. “Your superpower has nothing to do with rocks.”

“ _Your_ name is Jinjin, and _that_ doesn't make sense,” Lightning Rod (Rocky? Myungjun wasn't sure) shot back.

Green Superhero (Jinjin, Myungjun assumed) didn't respond to that quip. Instead, he looked back at Myungjun with concern in his eyes, one of the few features Myungjun was able to make out through the mask. “Are you alright?” he asked.

Myungjun's heart was hammering, and he didn't know how to answer that. This man _saved_ him. Not only that, but this man had his own hand sliced in order to save him. How was he supposed to answer a man who was as selfless and kind as that? “I, uh...” Myungjun sniffed, then realized his cheeks were still wet with tears. He took a deep, shuddering breath and pointed at Jinjin's hand. “Are y-you okay?”

He could hear the tellers moving now that the Overcoat Men were all out, either cold or dead (either way, Myungjun didn't care). The police cars had pulled up at this point and were beginning to assess the situation outside of the building. Myungjun continued to stare at Jinjin, however, not quite paying attention to the ongoing chaos.

Jinjin blinked, then glanced down at his hand. “No big deal,” he responded, shrugging his shoulders. “It will heal, it always does.” He was still talking slowly, and Myungjun was beginning to wonder if this was just how Jinjin spoke. Weird, too, for a man who broke someone's arm in about a second.

Myungjun was still trying to clear his head properly. None of this seemed real. A hostage situation and superheroes and he _still_ didn't get to deposit his check and he was missing his entire show? What a bummer. “S-So you guys are superheroes?”

“I am,” Jinjin said, then he pointed at Lightning Rod. “He's a sidekick.”

“I prefer the term _superhero in training_ ,” was Lightning Rod's response. Jinjin rolled his eyes.

Myungjun gave a humiliating sniffle, and to cover up the fact that he was still struggling to keep his tears in, he blurted out, “You remind me of a-a turtle.”

Jinjin pursed his lips and looked confused. Myungjun heard Lightning Rod laugh. “How do I remind you of a-”

“Green outfit. Really slow speech. Also, certain kinds of turtles can break bones, I've heard, if they have a chance to attack you.” He gave a small chuckle, even if it sounded raspy from his tears. “Wha-What are you, Turtle Boy?” He could have delivered it better, but at least Lightning Rod was still laughing at it.

Jinjin was _not_ laughing. “I'm Jinjin-”

“You don't even have a real superhero name.” Myungjun pointed at Lightning Rod. “He's got _Lightning Rod_. You got-”

“I'm Rocky!” Lightning Rod stopped laughing _very_ quickly, and was instead looking at Myungjun with the same distasteful expression that Jinjin was looking at him with. “I just said it, too. R-O-C-K-Y.”

“I know how to spell it. It just doesn't seem like a superhero name.” Myungjun wiped the tears off of his cheeks. “Are you sure you guys are superheroes?”

Jinjin sighed. “This is the thanks I get for saving your ass. Turtle Boy, I swear to God- c'mon, Rocky, we're leaving.” He gave Myungjun's knee a quick pat before straightening up. “We can head out the back door. The police won't stop us, I bet.”

Before they left, Myungjun quickly stood up himself. “Um...hey.” He managed to get both of them looking back at him, and he gave a small smile – mostly to Jinjin, he would admit, but it was difficult to take his eyes off of him. “Thanks. Seriously.” Jinjin's eyes softened, and he gave a gummy smile to Myungjun in return before nodding his head and hurrying off with Lightning Rod right behind him.

He really did look like a turtle to Myungjun.

Myungjun decided Turtle Boy was cute.

 

* * *

 

When Myungjun returned home late that night, he felt exhausted, both emotionally and physically. It still felt too similar to a dream to actually be _real,_ and he had to turn on the news and watch the coverage for confirmation that he wasn't the only one who lived out such a bizarre nightmare.

He slowly picked at his dinner as the newscasters covered various aspects of the hostage event, though he did have to pause longer and stare when it showed blurry images of Turtle Boy and his sidekick entering the front doors of the bank.

Turtle Boy probably saved dozens of people a week. Turtle Boy had no reason to remember this one hostage crisis situation, and that made Myungjun feel a little pang in his chest. He wished _he_ could be remembered to Turtle Boy in the way that Turtle Boy was going to be remembered to him.

After a few more minutes of chewing at his now-cold beef, he turned the television off and moved to clean up his dinner.

He was a man free from trouble and chaos. Today just happened to be a glitch, and it wouldn't happen again. He would push Turtle Boy out of his mind and continue his daily business as if nothing had ever taken place on this sunny September afternoon.

Except that might be easier said than done.

 

* * *

 

 

It seemed that trouble liked the taste it had gotten from Myungjun. The initial trouble he found himself in seemed to heighten trouble's probability of coming upon Myungjun, despite how much he tried to lead his normal life. But, no, the universe was punishing him for selfish thoughts, most likely. His apartment building was broken into (though nothing of great importance was taken, thankfully), he was rejected the promotion at work (on account of his _daydreaming_ , which was a first, and he would blame Turtle Boy for that), and to top it all off, he took a shortcut home one evening to catch his drama (like hell he would miss it again) and found himself in the middle of a drug deal of sorts.

A drug deal with guns.

And since he had obviously seen too much, the two men grabbed him, and one held a gun to his temple. He was getting an awful sense of deja vu, and he breathed harshly as the two men discussed what to do with him next.

“Just shoot him,” one hissed. “We can dump his body in a garbage bin and nobody will know.”

Myungjun didn't like that idea. “What is this, America?” he snapped, deciding against trying to pull away. This man holding him seemed very keen on keeping a finger tight on the trigger. “We have laws against guns, you know. You guys are going to rot in jail for this.”

“If we're caught. And we won't be caught, because our only witness will be dead!” The men laughed. Myungjun didn't think the joke was that funny.

Before he could contemplate what a gunshot through the head would even feel like, however, a new voice joined into the conversation. “Well, you'll have me as a witness.”

Myungjun gave a gasp as the man holding him turned sharply, the gun pressing harder into his head as a result. He didn't even need to see the person to recognize the voice, however, and his lips turned upwards in a grin. “Turtle Boy!”

Turtle Boy was a little difficult to make out, standing in the dark like that, but Myungjun could still see the trademark dark green outfit. “I told you not to call me that. I'm Jinjin.”

“You remind me of a turt- okay, okay, I'm shutting up!” The man had shaken Myungjun, presumably to get him to stop talking, and since that gun wasn't moving, Myungjun was going to listen for the time being.

“Get out of here!” one of the men yelled, pointing his gun at Jinjin. “We don't wanna have to kill you, too.”

Jinjin shrugged. “Might as well, though, since I am a witness. Right?”

His casual attitude about the situation seemed to make the men falter, and Jinjin took that moment to rush forward, amazing Myungjun once more with his speed. How could someone who talked so slowly move so quickly?

The men had no time to react. Jinjin easily smacked the gun away from the man who was holding onto Myungjun, then pulled Myungjun himself aside. The man struggled slightly, but Jinjin didn't even seem bothered by the movement. Instead, his fist came to punch the man in the stomach, sending him doubling over and coughing on the ground.

The other man discharged his weapon then, aimed straight at Jinjin, who somehow managed to maneuver away from the bullet in a spectacular dodge. He really _was_ fast, and within seconds, the man was on the ground with his partner, gun tossed aside as if it was play toy.

Jinjin kicked the first man he had knocked over, looking pleased when neither of them rose.

“Di-Did you kill them?” Myungjun asked, voice slightly wavering as he stood. Sue him, he was sure anyone would panic in the presence of guns.

“Hm? No. They're not murderers. They're just scum. I don't usually kill scum.” Jinjin gestured down the empty street. “I'll contact the police and they'll probably spend a while in jail for smuggling weapons and attempted murder and I can get them on a _whole_ lot of other charges, too.”

Myungjun liked that idea. He probably wouldn't have cared if they had died, but rotting in jail was what he initially had mentioned to the men, so it was nice to know that his own idea was going to play out properly. “You're a quick-thinker, Turtle Boy.” Jinjin frowned at him, but Myungjun ignored that. “Where's Lightning Rod?”

“Back at our- um, back home, I guess.” Jinjin shrugged. “I was just going to patrol alone tonight. It looked like it was supposed to be quiet. But I guess you're the sort of person who attracts trouble.”

“No. No, I've _never_ been the sort of person who attracts trouble,” Myungjun responded, shaking his head. “Trust me, I've actually lived a life free from trouble up until I was taken hostage. I think life hates me. The gods hate me, or the universe hates me. Someone hates me, honestly. At least _you_ don't hate me.”

“I don't even know you.”

Bummer, too, for that, because Myungjun had researched all he could on Jinjin and learned as much as possible. He knew Jinjin, and once more he wished that Jinjin would remember him.

Maybe his being saved from deadly situations twice would help jog Jinjin's memory if they were to meet again.

“Yeah, well, my name is Myungjun and I'm twenty-two and I live in an apartment building that's _really_ small, but I enjoy dramas, even if I am missing my favorite one because of these assholes, and I usually don't get into trouble like this, but here we are.”

Jinjin looked slightly confused from what Myungjun could see of him behind the mask. “Ah. I didn't ask for all of that information, though.”

Myungjun didn't care whether Jinjin had asked or hadn't asked. He wanted Jinjin to remember him, and if that meant being slightly obnoxious, then so be it. “You wanted to know, though. I think you're interested in me _very_ much. I mean, at least you might be interested in knowing why I keep needing to be saved.”

“I am interested in that, yeah.”

“You and me both, Turtle Boy.”

“My name's...” Jinjin looked like he had given up on that, and he just trailed off with a sigh. “Anyway, _please_ try to stay out of trouble from now-”

“How come you don't have a superhero name?” Myungjun asked suddenly. “I mean, your sidekick is Lightning Rod-”

“He wants to be called Rocky, though.”

Myungjun shrugged. “Lightning Rod suits him better, just like Turtle Boy suits you better.”

“It doesn't, though. It really doesn't. I'm _not_ like a turtle.” Jinjin was glaring at Myungjun, who simply shot him a wide smile. That seemed to loosen the superhero up, though, and he sighed once more. “I couldn't think of a superhero name that didn't make me sound like an idiot. Besides, all of the good ones are already taken by comic book characters. Jinjin was something my mother called me before she died.”

Myungjun nodded his head. The dead mom trope was common amongst superheroes, but that seemed extremely insensitive to say. This wasn't a comic book, so he couldn't make fun of it. Jinjin was an actual human being who didn't seem to have a mother and had to constantly work to save the general public.

Gosh, he really liked Jinjin the more he thought about him.

“That makes sense, then. Honoring her memory and shit. I like it.” Myungjun smiled once more, a toothy smile that made Jinjin stare. “I'm still going to call you Turtle Boy.”

Jinjin closed his eyes and smacked a face on his forehead. “Oh my god,” he mumbled. “See if I save your ass again.”

“You said that last time, but here you are again today!” Myungjun laughed lightly, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Can I have your number, though? Just in case I get in trouble again, it'd be very nice to have a superhero on call-”

Jinjin shot up suddenly and flew off. Myungjun watched in amazement before scoffing and looking back down at the two unconscious men near him. “If he didn't want to give me his number, he could've just said so.”

 

* * *

 

Trouble was not staying out of sight for Myungjun. It kept rearing it's ugly head, flirting with Myungjun to the point that he was actually becoming used to being rescued by Turtle Boy and Lightning Rod. Both seemed only slightly irritated when he had become, as Lightning Rod called him, “the damsel in distress,” once more.

Myungjun was certain that none of them were as irritated as he was. His trouble-free life seemed to crumble away. It was almost as if he had arrows pointing to him whenever he so much as stepped out of his house, arrows that would read, “PLEASE ATTACK ME, I LOVE TROUBLE.”

The only silver-lining in this madness was that he was able to talk a little bit longer to Jinjin each time he was rescued. He made Jinjin laugh and smile, and he knew Lightning Rod was back there rolling his eyes each and every time, but that just made it all the better.

He found himself falling in love with Jinjin, and despite the never-ending trouble he seemed to be in, each day was brighter than the last.

His friend who worked at his favorite cafe, though, thought he was crazy for that. “You almost got _killed_. Again!” Sanha exclaimed loudly, but Sanha was always loud. He was also tall and adorable, especially dressed up in his barista apron and hat. Myungjun, as a regular customer, really liked Sanha's antics, and he was proud of himself when he spent one of his evenings helping Sanha study for his high school exams.

Sanha was basically the baby brother he never had, and Myungjun adored him.

“Yeah. _Again_.” Myungjun sighed and took a sip of his coffee. Sanha was on break, and that usually meant just talking to Myungjun. “I thought I've been a good guy my whole life. Why is the universe punishing me like this, Sanha? But then it's also rewarding me because Turtle Boy is cute.”

“Um, pretty sure his name is actually Jinjin,” Sanha responded. “Jinjin and Rocky.”

“Lightning Rod,” Myungjun corrected Sanha this time.

“No, it's Rocky from what I've seen.”

“Well, Turtle Boy and Lightning Rod seems _way_ cooler than Jinjin and Rocky,” Myungjun complained as he drank more of his coffee.

Sanha looked curiously down at his phone when it vibrated. “Mom wants me to tell you hi.” And before Myungjun could answer, he continued, “Does Rocky _really_ shoot lightning bolts out of his hands? Are you sure it's not just a magic trick?”

“How in the world could _that_ be a magic trick? If it was a magic trick, I don't think he'd be able to knock those guys out so quickly. And that's one of the coolest parts! They don't burn like you would if lightning _really_ hit you. They just _BAM!_ fall over. It's amazing.” Sanha's eyes were wide and he was nodding his head, clearly interested in learning more about Myungjun's close encounters with superheroes. “And Turtle Boy has this crazy super strength, _and_ he can fly! He's kinda like Superman, I think, I actually don't really know if he has anything specialized. Like Batman's a millionaire, Spiderman is a man who has spider powers, Flash is super fast, but Jinjin just has a little mix of everything.”

“That's so cool that you got to meet with them!” Sanha exclaimed. “Not cool that you almost got killed, but cool that you're basically friends with superheroes!”

Myungjun smiled cockily and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, well, I guess the universe has a little bit of love for me.”

They talked for a little bit longer before Sanha realized his break was over. As per usual, the coffee was on the house, but Myungjun snorted and handed Sanha money anyway. High school students were too kind – or, at least, Sanha was, and Myungjun absolutely refused to take advantage of the kid.

The moment they stood from the table, however, there was a loud crash and screams. Myungjun realized that those sounds were almost common to him at this point.

However, he was used to petty criminals who simply believed they had no way out except to try and murder him. He wasn't used to turning and facing a man covered head to foot in some slick, metal armor that would put Jinjin's cool, dark green outfit to shame. He wasn't used to villains wearing full helmets with artistic horns sticking from the top.

He _thought_ he was used to being a damsel in distress, but he forgot that super villains were actually a thing.

The super villain pointed at him, and if it was a human underneath all of that armor, Myungjun was sure their eyes would have met. “You! Tell me where Jinjin is right now!”

He couldn't distinguish if that was a real voice or not. It was very raspy, perfect super villain voice material, and Myungjun stared. “I-I don't know. I don't keep tabs on Turtle Ma-”

The super villain rushed forward with speed Myungjun had only seen from Jinjin, and wrapped one of his steeled-gloved hands around Myungjun's neck. Myungjun gasped and struggled to peel the hand away. “I've seen the two of you together on _many_ occasions. Tell me where he is.” The villain was squeezing, and Myungjun vaguely wondered if his days of getting into trouble had led him up to die by the hands of a super villain.

He didn't wonder long, because suddenly the hand faltered. Though slightly dizzy, Myungjun was able to make out Sanha hitting at the villain with a metal chair he pulled from a table. It was a useless effort, but even in the state he was in, Myungjun admired the boy's courage.

Except now the super villain had his attention on Sanha. “Sa-San-Sanha!” Myungjun tried to call, but his voice was nothing more than a choked whisper. The super villain hit Sanha with his free hand, metal connecting with the student's face, and Sanha fell backwards.

Myungjun had become used to being the one in trouble. It was always _him_ getting attacked, ever since that one day at the bank. He wasn't used to seeing one of his best friends, a boy he viewed as his brother, get knocked to the ground as if he was nothing. It sent terror through his veins, and he renewed his efforts to get away to ensure Sanha's well being.

If this villain left irreparable damage on Sanha, Myungjun was going to hunt him down and murder him. He didn't even need to wait for Jinjin to do it.

“You fucking bast-”

He didn't get too far in his insults, because then he was being choked once more. The villain, despite not actually showing any of the physical features underneath his helmet, seemed to be glaring through the two areas that Myungjun presumed were eyeholes. “Where _is he?_ ”

Myungjun didn't even get a chance to spit out another insult, because they both suddenly lurched backwards. The hand loosened enough that Myungjun pulled free, coughing and gasping for breath. He glanced up to see Jinjin, his beautiful Turtle Boy, standing there, hand balled into a fist in a very epic punching motion.

So Jinjin's punches worked against creepy armor-covered super villains. That was good to know.

Normally, Myungjun would exchange witty remarks with Jinjin, or attempt some flirting, but Sanha was more important at the moment. While Jinjin was preoccupied, Myungjun scurried over to his best friend before noticing that Rocky was actually there as well, already checking if any damage had been caused.

“Is he okay?” Myungjun asked, voice hoarse from the chokehold he had unfortunately been in. “He's my best friend, _please_ say he's okay.”

Rocky glanced up at him and nodded. “He's fine,” the sidekick murmured, ruffling lightly at Sanha's hair. “Knocked out, but he'll wake up shortly. In the meantime, you stay right here with him.”

Rocky didn't have to tell him twice. Myungjun was nodding his head and grasping tightly at Sanha's hands. He would have to apologize for this when Sanha woke up. It _was_ his fault, after all, that Sanha got hurt. The villain had been looking specifically for him, and Sanha simply got caught up in it.

“Make sure you kick his ass,” Myungjun demanded, looking harshly at Rocky, who seemed slightly taken aback before smiling.

“Gotcha,” came the response before Rocky hurried into the battle fray. Myungjun rubbed at Sanha's skin with his thumb, glancing over to view the fight.

Jinjin was still moving quickly, but this seemed a lot more tiring of a battle for him. And Rocky was trying to help, but the lightning bolts didn't seem to have much of an effect on a super villain. It was clear that the two superheroes were growing frustrated with the lack of progress they were making.

They were keeping up, though, at least until the villain managed to kick at Rocky. An armored boot connected painfully with Rocky's stomach, sending him sprawling across the cafe floor amongst all the broken tables and pieces of wall that had fallen in. Myungjun stared with wide eyes – apparently, so did Jinjin, because the next hit landed on Jinjin.

For his credit, Jinjin only stumbled slightly, clearly worn out from the battle. Myungjun could see the worry in his eyes as he continued to fight, and to try and quell the fear Jinjin must have been feeling to see his partner on the ground, Myungjun left Sanha's side shortly to crawl over the rubble and check on Rocky.

Rocky was awake, coughing and sputtering and unable to stand. “You okay?” Myungjun asked.

He realized, this close to Rocky, that the sidekick was simply a boy. He probably wasn't much older than Sanha. Myungjun wondered if he had a family or a job. Myungjun wondered if he needed help on high school exams.

Rocky seemed to notice the change in Myungjun's gaze, for his own expression seemed to soften slightly. “I'm fine.” Though once those words were out, he ducked his face. “Just hurts like shit.”

Myungjun nodded his head before glancing back at Jinjin, who seemed to be in a very bad position. More punches from the villain were landing, each one making Myungjun wince himself. “Look,” he said to the struggling Rocky. “Go over to where Sanha is and just sit tight. You can't fight in your condition.”

“And what the hell are you going to do?”

“Don't know yet. I'm really smart, though, so I'll probably think of something to do. Thanks for the concern, Lightning Rod.”

“My name's Ro-”

But Myungjun didn't stay to let Rocky finish his complaining. Instead, he was up and moving fast, hurrying over the rubble and dragging Sanha's chair along behind him. Once he was close enough to the villain, he picked the chair up (Sanha must have been working out or something, because he lifted the chair like it was nothing – this was harder than Myungjun thought) and slammed it down on the villain's back.

It seemed to draw the villain's attention away from Jinjin for the time being, at least, but it drew the attention right on Myungjun, who swung the chair again.

The villain smacked the chair out of Myungjun's hands, and it went flying across the store.

“Oh, man, that sucks,” Myungjun muttered, and gaining slight confidence (despite noting that Jinjin was staring at him in absolute horror), continued, “I hope the cafe sues you for making this mess.”

He should have learned to duck and keep his mouth shut, in all honesty. The villain grabbed him once more, squeezing tightly at his neck, but he didn't end Myungjun's life right then, mostly thanks to the good graces of Jinjin, who managed to gain back some of his power.

Jinjin's punch landed well enough that the villain's hands moved to protect the weaker areas that Jinjin was about to gain access to. And in that moment, as Myungjun stumbled behind the villain once more, he caught the sight of skin; a little sliver of skin, pale underneath the metal, right where the helmet met with the body armor.

The helmet was a pull-off helmet. Convenient.

While he was distracted, Myungjun wasted no time. He reached up, hooked his fingers underneath the helmet, and pulled it off. It was actually very simple and easy, and he wondered if the super villain had thought this costume design through at all.

The face was fully exposed now, and Jinjin took the opportunity as it was granted to him. One last punch landed, and the villain was flying through the shop like a sack of potatoes. He hit the wall and fell to the ground, the dust settling around him as his body arched awkwardly over the mess and rubble.

Jinjin was breathing harshly and staring with wide eyes at Myungjun, who looked just as amazed that his quick thinking had actually yielded results. “Hi,” Myungjun greeted, trying to normalize his own heart beat. “Trouble is in full force today, huh?”

Jinjin didn't respond with an answer. Instead, the superhero rushed forward and gathered Myungjun in an intimate embrace, burying his face into Myungjun's neck. The material on Jinjin's mask rubbed at his skin and hands wrapped around his back, holding him in a way much different than what would be considered normal for friends.

Myungjun didn't know how to react to such a sudden hug. Jinjin had never shown any interest in him before this. He knew they were friends, in a way, but he never knew that Jinjin cared for him anymore than seeing him as another pathetic citizen to rescue. “Jin-?”

“Oh my god, I thought you were going to die. Don't _do_ that!” he smacked Myungjun's chest as he drew away from the hug. “You're not a superhero, Myungjun. _I_ am, and I was handling it.”

“You really weren't, though. He was beating the snot out of you.”

Jinjin glared, and seemed willing to respond, before they both heard clapping. Myungjun turned to see Rocky, looking only a little impressed, sitting up next to Sanha. “Bravo, both of you. And while this is touching and romantic and I'm cheering on your new relationship, I think this kid and I need some attention. You see, I got kicked.”

“I saw.” Jinjin moved to kneel down beside his partner. “Do you need to go to the hospital? Are you alright?”

“I just need to lay down for a few days and not move at all,” was Rocky's response. He gestured over to Sanha. “Is he alright? He's kind of out of it.”

Those words, though, seemed to bring Sanha back to it. The boy's eyelids were fluttering open, and Myungjun rushed to his side. Unfortunately for him, the very first person he laid eyes on was Rocky, who was smiling down at him.

Sanha blinked a few times before sitting up hurriedly. “You're Rocky!” he exclaimed.

Rocky's smile just grew wider, and he shoved Jinjin's shoulder. “He knows my actual superhero name! This guy's a true fan!”

Jinjin sighed, mostly in relief, and stood up once more. “He should probably go to a hospital,” the superhero told Myungjun. “Just in case.”

Myungjun nodded his head. “I can take him and call his mom. He was trying to save me. I feel bad.”

“Don't. He's a great friend to risk his own life to save you.”

Myungjun nodded once more. Rocky and Sanha were talking now, smiles on both of their faces (and Myungjun was _certain_ that Sanha was acting cuter than usual, which Rocky was totally falling for). “Guess that makes us more than friends, then?”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Well, you've risked your life to save me more times than I can count.”

“Because I'm a superhero. It's what superheroes do.” Jinjin crossed his arms over his chest. “I would do the same for anyone.”

Myungjun snorted. “You wouldn't hug just anyone like that, though, would you?” he asked, voice lowered slightly so that Sanha and Rocky couldn't overhear him. “You wouldn't be so sweet and intimate and loving to me-”

“Knock it off, Myungjun.”

“Not until you admit it – you totally want my phone number.”

Jinjin was blushing and seemed conflicted before suddenly holding out his hand. “Fine. I'll put my number in your phone, but it's only so that I can keep tabs on you and so you don't keep getting in these situations.”

Myungjun grinned widely and pulled his phone out of his pocket, handing it over to Jinjin. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as the superhero slowly keyed his number in, and Myungjun watched his every move. When the phone was handed back to him, Myungjun changed the name to _Turtle Boy_.

Which then caused him to glance over at Jinjin once more. “Hey,” he mumbled. “You're wearing black.”

“Yeah?”

“I liked the dark green. It fit your superhero name a little bit better. Turtle Boy.”

“Oh. Bummer. Guess I can't be Turtle Boy anymore.”

“If I didn't know you better, I'd think that you're being sarcastic. Luckily, I know how much you love being called Turtle Boy.” Myungjun grinned cheekily. “Just because you change your clothes doesn't mean you don't look like a turtle, Jinjin.”

He relished the fact that Jinjin was blushing and frowning at him.

Myungjun decided Jinjin was going to be his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

Myungjun had apologized to Sanha's mother at least fifteen times, he thought, and each time she told him it wasn't his fault. But it was, and each time he said sorry, he always felt the guilt settle in his stomach. He nearly burst into tears when Sanha's father silently handed him a small cup of coffee from a cafe close to the hospital, and he had to excuse himself in order to keep his crying a secret from the rest of society.

Because Myungjun was not supposed to have issues. Myungjun was sassy and smart and worried about nothing. Myungjun was not someone who cried because the father of his best friend bought him coffee.

Sanha was released in just a few hours, however, after they had checked him for signs of a concussion and learned that he was in perfect health, if not a bit exhausted and jumpy from the entire ordeal. Myungjun waited with him near the pickup point of the hospital while his parents pulled their car around.

“Hyung, I'm not mad at you.”

“Who said I thought that?”

Sanha smiled. “My dad. He said you were really beating yourself up over everything.”

Myungjun stuffed his hands in his pockets and snorted. “That doesn't sound like me, does it?”

“It really isn't your fault, Hyung.” Sanha gave a light laugh. “This is like Spiderman, isn't it? You're Mary Jane. She's always getting kidnapped or something.”

“I haven't gotten kidnapped yet, and thank you very much for probably jinxing it and ruining my life.”

Sanha was laughing again, and he shoved Myungjun. “That makes Jinjin Spiderman. What does that make Rocky, though?”

“Lightning Rod?” Myungjun pursed his lips in thought. “He's a sidekick, so probably Robin.”

“That's from Batman,” Sanha argued, but he didn't seem too upset with Myungjun's mixing of comic book characters. “Hey, I know this might be weird, but do you think you can get me Rocky's number?” The younger boy blushed slightly when Myungjun glanced over at him, eyebrows raised. “I-I mean, you have Jinjin's number, right? Just, um, just in case I start running into a lot of trouble, it'd be nice to have my own superhero to come and save me.”

Myungjun wasn't going to mention that Rocky was just a sidekick. He was much more focused on the deepening of Sanha's blush and his inability suddenly to look Myungjun in the eye. So there _was_ a reason Sanha was acting much cuter than normal around Rocky, wasn't there?

Myungjun grinned for a split second before realizing that getting Rocky's number would entail texting Jinjin. And that was much easier said than done. He had been flirting with the guy for a while now, but he suddenly made _progress_ in their relationship, which he hadn't expected. And this one step would mean he was probably going to be required to take extra steps forward in the relationship.

What was he even supposed to text a superhero, anyway? Jinjin had a whole fanclub of girls devoted to him. All of those girls would die for the chance to have the number of their idol.

And yet Myungjun just felt nervous. His confidence seemed to evaporate when he had actually gotten somewhere. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

His hand, still in his pocket, felt for his phone. Maybe he shouldn't say anything at all to Jinjin. It was highly unlikely he could get Rocky's number out of this, anyway. He licked his lips and then nodded his head, looking back over to Sanha and sticking the smile back on his face.

“I'll get it for you!”

Sanha was ecstatic and hugged Myungjun tightly, and all Myungjun could do was try to ignore the fact that the guilt in his stomach had piled up.

 

* * *

 

It had been three weeks since trouble struck. That was a new record for Myungjun, and while he found himself enjoying the fact that he could easily walk down a path without worrying if some crazed super villain was going to kidnap him, he still felt that something was missing from his life. Perhaps it was his new found thrill of adventure, perhaps it was the excitement that had gotten added to his otherwise bland life, but he realized it was mostly the lack of Jinjin.

He briefly considered joining Jinjin's fanclub, but that would just make him look like an idiot, so he rejected the notion.

Still, whenever the news showed signs of unrest elsewhere in the city, Myungjun tuned in closely, waiting for the moment that Jinjin would appear. Seeing the superhero, almost always wearing black now, made him smile until he caught himself, and then, despite being alone, he had to pretend like he wasn't excited to see Jinjin on his television.

He found himself taking walks throughout different parts of his part of town, almost always at night, and he briefly wondered if he was waiting for trouble to strike. His slow steps and constant lack of care for which area he was walking through solidified the fact in his mind that, though he would never admit it to himself, he wanted something bad to happen so that Jinjin could come and rescue him.

And when that didn't ever happen, he would stare at the contact in his phone for far longer than necessary. Sometimes his finger would hover over it, wanting more than anything to press the button and actually engage in conversation with Jinjin, but he would quell those wishes by slapping his cheek a few times and berating himself.

He couldn't compete with anyone for Jinjin. Besides, even though the hug was sweet and Jinjin had given him his number, Myungjun highly doubted Jinjin _liked_ him in such a manner.

His finger was dangerously close to pressing the button one night, and he had to slap his cheek much more than necessary in order to get such thoughts out of his head. His life had been normal and he was ready for his trouble-free existence once again, thankyouverymuch.

“Is there a reason you're standing outside in the middle of the night hitting yourself?”

Myungjun wondered if he had conjured up Jinjin's voice in his own head. Maybe he slapped himself a little _too_ hard. But when he spun around, he realized it wasn't his inner consciousness playing tricks on him; it was actually Jinjin, an expression of both amusement and irritation displayed slightly behind the mask.

“Jin- ah, Turtle Boy!”

Jinjin noticed his slip, and the superhero stepped forward. “Well, at least it seems you _think_ of me as Jinjin. That might be as much as I could ask for. Anyway, what's with you suddenly staying out of trouble?”

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders and stuck his trademark smile on his face. “Trouble just hasn't found me for a while, I guess. Maybe it's waiting until the right moment.”

“And when will the right moment be?”

He didn't have an answer for Jinjin's question, so he simply cleared his throat. “Don't you have superhero stuff to be doing for the police, or something?”

“I might.” Jinjin gestured over to the phone that was still in Myungjun's hands. “But I kept waiting and waiting for you to call or text. I don't have your number, and I thought you would text me, because goodness knows you liked talking to me. I thought you might have been kidnapped, but no one ever gave me a ransom note, so I finally had to figure out where you lived and then I had to follow you to an empty part of town and you've basically turned me into a stalker.”

In response, Myungjun stared.

“I thought you liked me.” Jinjin met Myungjun's eyes. “As a friend, as more than a friend, doesn't matter. I thought you liked me.”

“I do.” Myungjun's mouth was dry.

“Then what's with the silence?”

He didn't have any excuses because this scenario had never played out in his head. Jinjin suddenly coming down to him and demanding to know what was up? It was something that might have happened to someone else. It wasn't supposed to happen to Myungjun.

“Because...I've been busy and I just haven't had the time-”

“You were literally standing here, looking at your phone, for ten minutes.”

Well, now he knew that Jinjin was decent at being irritated. Myungjun cleared his throat and looked back down at his phone, still in his hands, and made the quick decision to finally press the button.

It brought him up to a text screen. Myungjun glanced at Jinjin, who's expression had changed to that of confusion, then turned his gaze to his phone once more. Before his brain could tell him to stop, he had already typed, _**Hey, Turtle Boy ;)**_ and pressed the send button.

It took a few seconds, but they both heard a slight _ding_ from somewhere on Jinjin's person. The superhero was still slightly confused as he reached down to his boot and pulled his phone out from there. (Myungjun wanted to ask if walking around with a phone in his boot was uncomfortable, but he could barely feel himself breathing, so he refrained from doing so.)

Jinjin stared at the text and snorted. “You're right in front of me. Wouldn't it be easier to talk than to send a text message?”

Myungjun smacked his lips together, then wrote another message. _**My mouth is very dry right now because of you so i cant talk without my voice craking :(**_

Jinjin read this text message, as well, and it actually brought a large smile on his face. He looked up at Myungjun, all signs of irritation gone. “Really?”

Myungjun nodded his head and finally pocketed his phone. His confidence was still shaky, but seeing Jinjin so happy made him _want_ to talk to Jinjin again.

The superhero stepped forward until he was within touching distance over Myungjun. He looked proud, lips still pursed up in a smile, almost to the point of being cocky, but his eyes displayed such soft and gentle fondness as he looked at Myungjun. “I like you.”

Myungjun's heart skipped a beat.

“I _like_ like you,” Jinjin continued. “And you didn't text so I thought you...didn't like me.”

Myungjun took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. “I didn't contact you because I was a little nervous that you didn't like me how I liked you.”

“And how do you like me?” Jinjin asked. Myungjun shook his head in a refusal to answer, so Jinjin laughed and reached out to lightly grab Myungjun's hand. “Myungjun, how do you like me?”

Myungjun peeked through one eye. “I, uh... _like_ like you?” he whispered. How could Jinjin suddenly have all of his confidence? It wasn't fair at all. Myungjun had faced death multiple times, yet he panicked at the action of telling someone that he liked them?

He was an idiot.

Jinjin didn't seem to care how nervous Myungjun was, however. Jinjin was just grinning as if the world had suddenly given him everything he wanted. And seeing that grin made Myungjun realize that Jinjin had wanted _him_. Jinjin had been waiting for his text and had even figured out where he lived and followed him in secret just to get a chance to talk to him.

That could be considered stalking, as Jinjin had stated earlier, but Myungjun didn't even care. Without Jinjin's persistence, they both would have wallowed about in pity. Jinjin was the one who made an effort to try and expand the relationship, and Myungjun was so thankful he did.

“Now what?” Myungjun asked, still a bit quiet (unusual for him, he really needed to work on that).

“Usually people schedule a date or something at this point, but, um, I'd _really_ like to kiss you now.”

Myungjun blushed heavily. “If you think I'm going to kiss some guy wearing a mask, you must not know me at all,” he responded quickly, mostly in order to hide his red cheeks.

“Oh! I forgot about the mask.” Jinjin had to release Myungjun's hands (thus taking away their initial source of warmth and comfort and made Myungjun realize just how well together their fingers had fit, almost like puzzle pieces), but the superhero did move them and pulled the mask off of his face. It messed with his hair ever so slightly, but Myungjun didn't even care about the messy hair. He was more excited to actually see Jinjin without the mask on.

His features were just as perfect as Myungjun had imagined them to be. He was handsome, so incredibly handsome. His jawline was sharp, too, but the way his cheeks looked as he smiled widely, the way his eyes shone brightly when he had to wrinkle them in order to actually smile, made him look as youthful as a child.

Myungjun felt breathless.

“Is this better?” Jinjin had asked.

Myungjun found himself nodding his head. “Y-Yeah. I think I can kiss you now.”

Jinjin was the one to lean forward, slowly, carefully, and Myungjun closed his eyes in anticipation. He felt their lips touch; he knew his own lips were chapped from the cold, but Jinjin's lips were soft against him, melting away the majority of Myungjun's nervousness.

He could have kept the kiss going, but it was Jinjin who pulled back, looking incredibly embarrassed for someone who had so readily asked for a kiss. “Um, was that good?”

Myungjun still couldn't find his voice, so he instead pulled Jinjin back into the kiss, throwing away most of his caution. He liked kissing Jinjin, and he wanted Jinjin to like kissing him.

When they were finished for a second time, Jinjin let out a deep breath. “I take that as a yes?”

Myungjun could only nod his head and grin.

 

* * *

 

It didn't take very long for Myungjun to loosen up at all. He enjoyed his new-found relationship with Jinjin (“Jin _woo_ ,” the superhero had corrected, which sent a new form of excitement down Myungjun's veins with the realization that he was close enough to now know Jinjin's real name), and he spent as much time as possible talking or texting or practicing his kisses on Jinwoo.

Jinwoo also seemed to loosen up, enough so that after about a week of Myungjun's pestering of, “ _Please_ let me see your superhero lair!” he finally invited Myungjun over by way of sending him the address. Myungjun was excited, and he left early that day in order to arrive at a good time. He was picturing all kinds of contraptions and devices and he hoped Jinwoo would explain each and every one to him.

But when he did make his arrival, he realized that Jinwoo lived in an apartment building. It wasn't nearly as small as his own, but it was clear that being a superhero didn't mean that Jinwoo was exactly rolling around with cash.

He knocked on the door and Jinwoo answered, a large smile on his face when he caught sight of Myungjun. “You're a bit early,” he commented.

“I got excited. Thought I would finally get to see your superhero lair.”

Jinwoo gestured at his living room. It was clean, though it didn't seem he had much to make a mess with, anyway. “Well, here it is. Minhyuk hasn't done laundry yet, so ignore the dirty clothes in our bathroom.”

“Minhyuk...?” Myungjun wondered out loud. “You mean Rocky? He lives with you?”

“Yeah. Goes to school down the road, and because he's got crazy superpowers, it was just easier for us to live together.” He stepped aside to invite Myungjun further in, and Myungjun eagerly accepted.

“I expected a lot more, actually,” he muttered as he looked around.

Jinwoo's grin didn't falter much. “It's not like the city pays us for our good deeds. We still have other jobs, actually, to make ends meet. I actually take university courses online, too, just in case the whole _saving the city_ plan falls through.” He gestured Myungjun over to the kitchen. “Can I get you something? Tea? Water?”

“Tea sounds good.” Myungjun shed his heavy coat and rested it on one of the chairs nearby. Jinwoo went about preparing the tea while Myungjun took the opportunity to look around at everything. A police scanner was on nearby, the volume turned down but still just high enough that Myungjun could understand the voices when he stepped a little closer. “Is this how you know what's going on?”

“Hm?” Jinwoo glanced over from his preparation. “Oh, yeah. Better than following with the news, in any case. News only reports it _after_ the fact, typically.”

“How did you know about the drug deal, then?” Myungjun asked. Jinwoo stared blankly at him, so Myungjun expanded on his question. “The second time we met? The guns-?”

“Oh. That had actually been a coincidence,” Jinwoo responded, and then he turned back to the tea. “During quiet nights sometimes, either Minhyuk or I will patrol a little bit in certain areas. I knew that area had a few drug deals every so often, so I went that way to check it out. Really didn't expect to see you there.”

Myungjun snorted. “Well, like I said before, trouble just didn't leave me alone for a while. I thought the universe was punishing me at first, but now I realized it's rewarded me.”

“Has it?” Jinwoo put the tea on the stove and then stepped over to join Myungjun near the police scanner.

“With you, yeah!” Myungjun's smile stretched to the corners of his face when he noticed Jinwoo giving him that soft, fond look he usually had on whenever they were in close proximity. “Trouble stopped right after I got your number. I think the universe was trying to set us up.”

Jinwoo smirked and leaned forward to place a kiss on Myungjun's forehead, pushing up his bangs to do so. “I think you're right.”

Despite how many times they had already kissed, Myungjun couldn't help but feel butterflies float around in his stomach with each new kiss. “You know I'm right, Jinwoo.”

“I know it,” Jinwoo agreed, and the next kiss landed on Myungjun's nose. Jinwoo probably would have kept up the slow kissing until Myungjun's entire face was tingling, but Myungjun was not very patient at all. His hands came up to cup Jinwoo's cheeks, and ignoring the look of slight surprise, he pressed his lips against Jinwoo's.

The kisses before had been gentle and serene, but Myungjun was a selfish man with selfish thoughts. He had wanted a little bit more, and so he deepened this kiss, mouth opening slightly in order to continue the kiss, over and over again. Based on Jinwoo's slight whine, Myungjun had made a brilliant move, and it compelled him to kiss even more.

Jinwoo's hands wrapped around him, fingers coming up to tangle in Myungjun's messy, brown hair, and Myungjun practically melted.

He had been planning for a bit _more_ than that, and had been quite willing and desperate to act on it, but then suddenly he heard the front door open and a voice loudly ring, “Jinwoo, guess who-!”

Myungjun didn't even have time to let embarrassment course through him at the sudden interruption, because Jinwoo pulled back with a start, then shoved Myungjun away. Myungjun believed that Jinwoo must not have been thinking because the shove used the powers that Myungjun had only seen used on enemies before. He couldn't even get a foot on the ground before he suddenly crashed into the wall, knocking over various objects on his way down, including the police scanner, which ended up falling right next to his head.

“Oh my god!” Jinwoo exclaimed, rushing forward to examine the damage he had caused. “I'm so sorry! Are you okay, Myungjun?”

Myungjun groaned and sat up from the mess, rubbing at his arms. “I'm going to be sore as hell tomorrow,” he responded. “Can't you, like, turn your powers off or something when we're making out?”

Jinwoo was flushed red. “I didn't – I panicked! Minhyuk!” He swung suddenly to glare at his sidekick, who was staring at the situation in confusion. “I thought you had practice today!”

Minhyuk coughed once, then moved to set his backpack down. “Well, uh, something happened so I came home early to let you know the good news. I didn't know you and Myungjun would be getting it on in our apartment.”

“We're not-”

“Ooh, is _that_ where you wanted this to go, Turtle Boy?” Myungjun teased. He decided it wasn't worth it to be embarrassed too much, not when Minhyuk seemed pretty nonchalant about the entire situation.

Jinwoo, however, was still blushing furiously, and he ceased his efforts to help Myungjun up from the mess. “What are you, a middle school student?” he grumbled, but Myungjun wasn't deterred from his sly grinning. With a huff, Jinwoo crossed his arms over his chest and gave his full attention to Minhyuk. “What is it you wanted to tell me?”

Minhyuk's excitement was very easy to read, and Myungjun realized this was the first time he had seen the boy without a mask or outfit on. “Actually, it's awesome that Myungjun is here, because I saw his friend at school! You know, the tall kid with the orange hair that makes him look like a popsicle?”

Myungjun instantly knew it was Sanha that Minhyuk was referring to (though Sanha being described as a popsicle was new). “Sanha?”

Minhyuk snapped his fingers and pointed at Myungjun. “That's the one! I didn't even know he went to my high school, Jinwoo, but I totally ran into him at lunch today! Like, literally, physically _ran into_.”

Jinwoo nodded his head slowly. “Did you talk to him any?”

That seemed to dampen Minhyuk's excitement. “Um...no. I spilled milk all over his sweater and then ran off. But he goes to my school!”

“That explains his weird texts,” Myungjun muttered as he was finally able to stand up. “But did you _really_ run away from him, Lightning Rod?”

Minhyuk frowned. “Don't call me that, Damsel in Distress. And, _yes_ , I ran away. I panicked."

“You superheroes are the panicky sort, aren't you?” Myungjun pulled his phone out from his pocket and scrolled through his names until it landed on Sanha's number. “Here. Text him. Apologize for ruining his sweater.” He handed the phone over to Minhyuk, who stared at it with wide eyes. Myungjun was pretty sure that his eyes would pop out of his head if they got any wider. “Go on! Do it!”

“I...I don't know about this,” Minhyuk stammered. “We don't even know each other, except for that time we fought the super villain.”

Myungjun smirked and lightly pushed Jinwoo aside. “I'll let you in on a fun secret – he's asked me for Rocky's number.”

“Really?” Minhyuk looked a bit hopeful at that, and he stared down at the number. “You think he likes me?”

Myungjun knew for a fact that Sanha adored Rocky, but he wasn't going to mention that. He would much rather Sanha come to adore _Minhyuk_ , so he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. Maybe not. But you'll never know anything if you don't try it out.”

“Yeah, don't be like Myungjun who ignored me for three weeks,” Jinwoo spoke up, and Myungjun smacked his shoulder.

“We're not bringing up my mistakes!” The eldest of the three huffed and rolled his eyes. “I don't have to put up with this, you know. I just came over to see your secret lair.”

Minhyuk finally glanced up from the phone. “Secret...lair?” He shot Jinwoo an inquisitive stare, but Jinwoo simply shrugged his shoulders.

“A secret lair! Like all superheroes have! You know, like in- oh, never mind, you guys are so lame. Look, just take the number, or I'm going to start making out with Jinwoo right in front of you.”

Minhyuk didn't hesitate after that.

 

* * *

 

“Jinwoo!” Myungjun put his menu down to rest on the table in front of him and waved a hand over at the short, blond man lingering at the doorway. “Jinwoo, over here!”

Luckily, Jinwoo noticed him (Myungjun had always been told he was loud and obnoxious, and he took pride in that) and came over to sit at the table with him.

“Sorry I'm late,” he said.

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders. “Superheroes don't have set schedules. I'm okay with that. How did your fight go today?”

“Went fine, I guess. I just took too long in the shower, so I was rushing to get ready for our date.” He cleared his throat and straightened the collar of his button-up shirt. “So? How do I look? Clean up real well for a superhero, don't I?”

Myungjun grinned and nodded his head. “Super well! You look almost better than me, Jinwoo. You can't do that. I'm supposed to be the hot one in this relationship.” But Myungjun himself didn't believe that for a minute, not when he had seen Jinwoo without the mask for the first time.

They had been dating for over a year now, and Myungjun could only credit Jinwoo's persistence for this milestone. A year had flown by almost _too_ quickly, though, especially considering how slow Jinwoo was to do anything. Still, Myungjun found himself enjoying every single moment of their relationship, even if it did entail that he had an occasional relationship on the side with Trouble.

“Trust me, Myungjun, you _are_ the hot one in this relationship.” Jinwoo gave him a gummy smile, which made Myungjun giggle.

“I'm paying today, so you don't have to keep flattering me. Here, choose anything you want. It all looks good.” Myungjun scanned his menu again, then snapped his fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you - Sanha asked Minhyuk out!”

“Really? When was this?”

“Last night,” Myungjun responded, proud to be privy to information no one else knew. “Apparently, Minhyuk's been acting really awkward and nervous around Sanha, and Sanha told me it was probably because they both really liked each other but neither of them wanted to admit it. So I told Sanha I was going to kick his ass if he let Minhyuk get away from him, and now they're going to go on a date next week, after Sanha finishes exams.”

Jinwoo looked positively gleeful at this news. “I kept teasing Minhyuk about his crush, and he was always so cute about it! I can't believe he's a superhero and can't even tell a guy he likes him.”

“I know! What would he do without his wingmen here to help him out?” Myungjun held up a fist, and Jinwoo gave him a nice fist bump.

“He wouldn't know _what_ to do with himself! We make such a great team, Myungjun, bringing people together like this!”

Myungjun was laughing again, though he really couldn't help but think just how happy he was that he and Jinwoo had been brought together. He didn't know if it was fate, or if the universe was somehow apologizing for putting him through so much trouble, but he was happy with the situation either way.

“I love you, Jinwoo.”

Jinwoo smiled lightly and reached over to hold Myungjun's hand. “I love you, Myungjun.”

It would have been extremely romantic, especially because Jinwoo was leaning in for a kiss, but Myungjun broke the magic by whispering, “My sweet Turtle Boy.”

A sigh came and his hand was dropped. Myungjun giggled as Jinwoo rolled his eyes. “I don't know _why_ I love you, but I do. You're nothing but trouble.”

Myungjun used to be trouble-free and proud of it. But if trouble meant that he was going to be Jinwoo's boyfriend, he accepted trouble.

 

**Author's Note:**

> yo i need more dollar bills [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com). also, this work has been dedicated to the perfect and amazing [chipsandwaffles](http://archiveofourown.org/users/chipsandwaffles/pseuds/chipsandwaffles), a sheep of great caliber and perfection and please go love on her writing as much as i do.


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